Mr Gogolak
Jason Dozzell
I think a lot of people are missing a wider point. This is a manager who is teaching on the cycle, and this is a squad learning on the go. Ange now knows he can trust them, and he also knows where adjustments might need to happen.
I think it was wonderful he did the high line still, regardless. We had to play. And we had to know what we could, or couldn't, do in such circumstances.
We'll have learnt a lot more about ourselves last night than Chelski did. Remember how many times it was nearly 2-2 before the 93rd minute.
I wouldn't go that far but his tactics on Monday do seem like a statement. He's explained many times that he wanted his players to know that he'd shoulder the blame if something went wrong on the pitch because of his set-up. Monday could be seen as a case where he put his money where his mouth was. It's still a huge risk though because a record defeat, no matter the circumstances, would have been hard to deal with.
It's too early to look at the consequences of this match but it could be a blessing in disguise. It'd be different if we were chasing for the title but considering where we are at the moment, strengthening the bond between the players and the manager doesn't seem like such a bad thing. It's worth noting that the subs gave a good account of themselves, despite their lack of game time since the beginning of the season.
At the end of the day, losing 4-1 or 2-1 with 9 men and two major injuries doesn't make much of a difference. We'll see what happens next but I think you make an interesting point.